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The Pennsylvania Game Commission this week unveiled a new “web cam” broadcast live from a Perry County barn owl nest box. Interest in this unique wildlife viewing opportunity is growing steadily on the worldwide web.

“The best way to get people acquainted with wildlife and to help them further appreciate its importance is to give them a front-row seat to the action,” said Carl G. Roe, Game Commission executive director. “That’s what our new web cams and live-feed broadcasts are doing, using technology to connect people with wildlife. “We began our ‘wild cam’ broadcasts a few weeks ago with snow geese scenes from off Willow Point at our Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area. Look for more exciting locations to be wired for broadcast after the barn owls to help our website followers get more acquainted with and closer to Pennsylvania wildlif…

The bomb threat received for Pitt-Bradford’s Hanley Library was one of six received by the university Friday morning.

The main campus received the other five, bringing the total since February 13 to 85, according to The Pitt News, the daily student newspaper.

Pitt-Bradford is the first of the university’s branch campuses to receive a threat. The other branch campuses are in Greensburg, Johnstown and Titusville. Pitt-Bradford spokeswoman Pat Frantz Cercone says the Hanley Library threat was similar to those received for the main campus.

Friday’s threat for the Hanley Library was sent by e-mail to Pitt’s main campus and was forwarded to Dan Songer, Pitt-Bradford’s Director of Campus Police and Safety. Kathleen Schreiber, the university’s regional manager of campus police, also called Songer.

The library, which houses the office of university president Dr. Livingston Alexander, was evacuated at just before 11 a.m. After a thorough search of the outside and inside of the building, people were…

State Police Fire Marshal Greg Agosti says in a news release that police “intercepted a plan” to start a fire at 103 South Avenue in March and took action to stop the arson. The building owned by Panighetti was occupied by a family of three who didn’t know there was a plan to set it on fire, Agosti says.

Police also learned that a fire at Panighetti’s own house at 102 South Avenue in February of 2007 was intentionally set. Panighetti also allegedly reported that a classic car he owns was stolen. The burned car was recovered in July of last year on the Allegheny National Forest.

The three cases involve more than $574,000 in insurance company funds from three separate companies, Agosti says.

Panighetti was arraigned Friday in connection to the house fires, and is jailed on $200,…

The bomb threat that closed the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford’s Hanley Library late this morning was similar to the threats received at the university’s main campus.

Pat Frantz Cercone, Pitt-Bradford’s Director of Communications and Marketing, tells WESB and The Hero the threat came in an email, which was immediately forwarded to Campus Security Director Dan Songer, who was also contacted by phone. Songer ordered an evacuation of the building at just before 11 a.m. At the same time, voice, e-mail and text messages were sent to people in the campus community who subscribe to the emergency notification system, she said.

Police sealed off the building and established a perimeter, and Bob Rinfrette of the Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Department brought in his bomb dogs. The inside and outside of the building were thoroughly searched. No bomb was found, and people were told they could go back into the building at around 12:30 p.m., Cercone said.

Chautauqua County Sheriff’s deputies say the burglary happened on Van Buren Road in Pomfret on April 3. The burglar took a bronze sculpture of a dolphin riding a wave. Sergeant Pete Pett says they believe the person though it was a piece of art, but it is actually a cremation urn containing the remains of the victim’s husband.

Anyone who has seen the urn is asked to call the sheriff’s office. Pett says the woman is not interested in pressing charges, but she is very distraught and just wants her husband’s remains back.

ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y., April 13, 2012 — To keep your memories of this remarkable year in St. Bonaventure basketball as fresh 20 years from now as they are today, the university is producing a 128-page book on the NCAA Tournament seasons of its men and women.

Published by the university’s Franciscan Institute Publications, “A Legacy Defined” costs $19.95 (plus $4.95 if shipping is necessary) and is now available for advance sale at www.sbu.edu/legacydefined. The book’s title is based on the teams’ joint preseason marketing slogan “Defining Our Legacy.”

The soft-cover book, similar in scope to the commemorative books produced after teams win the Super Bowl, is expected to be available in May at the SBU Bookstore and Olean-area retailers.

Proceeds from the limited edition book will benefit the Bonaventure Athletic Fund.

The book will include a few reprinted articles on each team’s run to glory, plus new material on how their seasons unfolded and the highs and lows along the way. The highligh…

Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Commerce today appointed Gregory W. Booth, President and Chief Executive Officer of Zippo Manufacturing Company, Bradford, Pa., to the Department’s 2012 Manufacturing Council, according to U.S. Representative Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson. Representative Thompson initiated a letter in support of Mr. Booth’s candidacy in July of 2011 that was signed by Senator Bob Casey along with twelve other members of congress from the Commonwealth. Both Thompson and Booth praised the news upon hearing of the Department’s announcement.

“With his steadfast commitment to American manufacturing and the iconic Zippo brand, it was easy to nominate Mr. Booth to fill a vacancy on the U.S. Department of Commerce Manufacturing Council,” said Representative Thompson. “I want to congratulate Mr. Booth on this appointment and look forward to working with him to advance the competitiveness of manufactures in our region, the entire Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and across the cou…

Speaker of the House Sam Smith (R-Punxsutawney) released the following statement regarding what he says is the misinformation being perpetuated by some special interests regarding the chemical disclosure language in one paragraph of Act 13, the Marcellus/Utica Shale Impact law:

“Doctors will be able to provide all of the information needed to discuss any patient ailment.

“It is outrageous to think, let alone for anyone to portray, that the state would actually ‘gag’ a doctor in treating a patient. It is irresponsible for an organization to try and create such hysteria.

“The language in the Marcellus/Utica law was advocated by the Environmental Defense Fund and the Pennsylvania Environmental Council.

“The new law explicitly requires fracking chemical information be disclosed to medical professionals so that they may provide treatment should the need ever arise. This will enable medical professionals to meet their highest ethical obligations and to fully inform their patients.

Harrisburg – The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources today named David Hallman as manager of Oil Creek State Park in Venango County. He is former assistant manager of Nockamixon State Park in Bucks County.

“Leaving one of our most heavily visited state parks in the southeastern section of the state, David Hallman brings to Oil Creek State Park a wealth of managerial and public relations skills,” said DCNR Secretary Richard Allan. “His employment background can only strengthen the already strong environmental education efforts under way at Oil Creek, where more than 180,000 visitors are drawn annually.”

Hallman will oversee Oil Creek State Park’s 7,096 acres in Venango County’s Oil Creek Valley, site of the world’s first commercial oil well. Through its environmental education center and programs, Oil Creek State Park helps tell the story of the early petroleum industry by interpreting oil wells and boom towns, and early transportation.

Judge John Cleland will not throw out child sex abuse charges against former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky.

Cleland today rejected an argument by Sandusky's lawyer that the statute of limitations may have run out for eight of the 10 alleged victims.

In his two-page order, Cleland also rejected defense motions that some of the charges against Sandusky were not specific enough and that evidence was lacking in others.

He did grant a motion to have prospective jurors questioned individually. The attorney general’s office also agreed to that. Cleland said he will make a decision on whether to sequester the jury at the time of the trial, which is scheduled to start June 5.

Sandusky is accused of sexually abusing 10 boys over a period of 15 years. He has denied the accusations.

Construction of a 38-mile equestrian trail system in the Duhring area of the Marienville Ranger District of the Allegheny National Forest started today, and is expected to be finished in December.

The trail will be worked on in segments, with several segments being worked on simultaneously at times. These segments may not be contiguous, so visitors to the area are advised to be informed of where construction activity may be occurring throughout the next eight months. Maps showing which segments are currently under construction will be posted at Kelly Pines Campground, Bob Summers’ camp, as well as on the trail. Maps will also be available at all Allegheny National Forest offices and on the ANF website, www.fs.fed.us/r9/forests/allegheny.

At this time, the Allegheny National Forest is not restricting riding in the areas near the new trail, but equestrians are being asked to stay off of those sections until they are posted open. This is for the safety of visitors and their horses, as wel…

Laboratory development and specialized training programs to benefit faculty, staff and students are some of the exciting new projects to be funded by the Keenan–Martine grants announced by St. Bonaventure University.

The awards are funded through a gift from Leslie C. Quick III, member and past chair of St. Bonaventure University’s Board of Trustees, and his wife, Eileen. In 1999, two $1 million endowments were named after longtime faculty members, the late Dr. Leo E. Keenan Jr. and Dr. James J. Martine. These grants provided to faculty are funded through the interest generated by the endowments.

The Leo E. Keenan Jr. and James J. Martine Faculty Development Endowments are intended to “provide funds to faculty engaged in activities designed to improve the quality of the teaching and learning process at St. Bonaventure University.” The Martine endowment provides for funding of activities associated with the general education core curriculum (Clare College), while the Keenan endowment…

There are still tickets available for CARE’s 3rd annual Rock & Win event, coming up on Saturday, April 28th - but they are going fast! If you’re not able to make it the night of the event, you DO NOT need to be present to win any of the cash prizes - but, there will be great food, great entertainment and great auction items for those who do attend!

University of Pittsburgh Chancellor Mark Nordenberg has selected Christina Graham of Bradford as a recipient of the 2012 Chancellor’s Award for Staff Excellence in Service to the University.

Graham is director of student activities at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford.

She is one of four staff members university-wide to receive the award this year, which was created to recognize staff members who make a significant impact on the university through their commitment and performance.

The Chancellor’s Award for Staff Excellence is the highest honor a staff member can receive. Graham will be recognized by Dr. Livingston Alexander, president of Pitt-Bradford, during honors convocation Friday at the university. She was also recognized at the University of Pittsburgh Honors Convocation held earlier this year.

In his letter of congratulations, Nordenberg cited many letters received from former students supporting her nomination.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced a settlement with EXCO Resources LLC for violations of the federal law designed to protect underground sources of drinking water.

The violations occurred at the company’s brine disposal well located at Brady Field in Bell Township, Clearfield County, Pa.

Under the terms of the Consent Agreement with EPA, EXCO is required to pay a civil penalty of $159,624 and comply with the conditions of its underground injection control permit. The company must also rework the well in accordance with an EPA-approved plan to comply with federal mechanical integrity standards for brine disposal wells, which require multiple levels of protection to prevent contamination of underground sources of drinking water.

According to information provided by the company in response to a September 2011 information request from EPA, the disposal well failed mechanical integrity sometime in early April 2011. The company failed to notify EPA in a timely manner a…

A Salamanca man who took police on a brief car chase Tuesday is facing a number of charges.

Sheriff’s deputies say Gregory Huffman drove through a red light and, when they tried to stop him, he led them on chase. When he was finally stopped, deputies gave him a field sobriety test, which he failed.

Huffman was convicted of driving while intoxicated within the last 10 years, making this a felony. He’s also charged with unlawfully fleeing, reckless endangerment, criminal mischief and numerous traffic violations

The 46th Annual Potter – Tioga Maple Festival will take place Friday, May 4th and Saturday, May 5th at the Courthouse Square in Coudersport. We are now accepting registrations for vendors, sponsors and parade registrants for 2012. Visit www.Couersport.org for information or www.pottercountyfestivals.com to register as a vendor, sponsor or parade registrant.

The festival features demonstrations of making Maple Syrup, Maple Products that are made in the Potter and Tioga Counties. We will have Live Music, Pet Parade, Multiple Vendors, Kiddie Carnival, Chain Saw Carving Demonstration, Bingo Tent, Boys & Girls Club of Potter County Obstacle Course, Library Book Sale, Red Cross Duck Race, and of course the Maple Festival Parade at 3:00 pm on Saturday.

For more information contact the Coudersport Area Chamber of Commerce at (814) 274-8165 or by email at cacoc@zitomedia.net

For any groups or organizations wishing to participate in the 2012 Potter-Tioga Maple Festival Parade please contact…

A Yorkshire teenager is facing charges for allegedly assaulting a younger teen late last week.

Sheriff’s deputies say 18-year-old Lucas Burdick of Yorkshire threw a 13-year-old boy against the front door of a house and punched him several times. The 13-year-old suffered pain and bruising on his face, head and shoulder.

Burdick is charged with assault and endangering the welfare of a child. He was released on his own recognizance, and is scheduled to answer the charges in Town of Yorkshire Court.

Earth Day – held on April 22 – was created to inspire awareness and appreciation of the Earth’s natural environment. Two new events this year in the Allegheny National Forest Region will embrace and celebrate nature’s beauty - a guided hike along the scenic Marilla Springs Trail and the “Wild & Scenic Film Festival” at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. Both are free and open to the public.

The Allegheny Outdoor Adventures Club is hosting a hike from 9 a.m. to noon at Marilla Springs Trail, one of the many scenic trails of the Tuna Valley Trail Association. Hikers are invited to meet before 9 a.m. at the Marilla Springs parking lot on West Washington Street, located along Route 346, about five miles west of the City of Bradford. Trail maps are available online in a downloadable format at www.tunavalleytrail.com.

The group is expected to walk 3.6 miles on the trail then turn around. However, hikers are allowed to turn back during any part of the hike. Hikers can participate in…

Dale Fox, a 2008 graduate of the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, will speak next week about experiences as a volunteer English teacher in Turkey.

Fox will speak at 7 p.m. April 17 in Rice Auditorium in Fisher Hall. The talk is sponsored by the Friends of Hanley Library.

After graduation, Fox, who was a nontraditional student from Ridgway, became a volunteer English teacher near the city of Izmir, which is on the Aegean coast, and in Istanbul. Living with two different families gave her the opportunity to experience a wide diversity of religious and cultural attitudes and beliefs in a country where 99 percent of its citizens are Muslim.

Fox will share her insights, experiences and perceptions about life in Turkey through her stories and pictures. She is now involved with interfaith initiatives that focus on dispelling stereotypes about Muslims and speaks frequently in public.

United Way of the Bradford Area, Inc. will host the 2nd Annual Spring Arts Gala on Thursday, April 19th at the Bradford Club. The event will feature over 30 pieces of artwork donated from local artists, including paintings, framed photographs, wood carvings, glass sculpture, jewelry, and hand crafted furniture. Tim Asinger will act as head auctioneer for the event, with a guest auctioneer appearance by Woody Woodruff.

When we planned the Spring Art Gala last year, we had a vision of creating an event that showcased the local talent of the Bradford community, in a festive networking atmosphere. This year, we have been overwhelmed with the scope of talent and variety of artists that have agreed to donate hand crafted items for the auction. From students with the Bradford Area High School art club, to inmates with FCI McKean, to area artists such as Denise Drummond, Sean Huntington, Alan Hancock, Jay Monti, and Gina Zetts, among others, we know that this year’s gala will well represent …

The McKean County SPCA kicks off its annual pet calendar contest Saturday at the Bradford Area Public Library. Pet owners are invited to bring their animals to the library between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., where Dana DiBlasi will take photographs for the “voting” phase of the contest, which will begin in early June.

“This has been a popular event for us the last few years,” said Dick Gorton, President of the organization. “For a small fee of $5, pet owners can have a picture of their pet taken for the contest board, which circulates through the county in June and July. If you’ve seen the board in the last two years, many of the photos were taken by Dana.”

Gorton also reminds contest entrants that they may bring pictures of their pets to the library on Saturday or to the McKean County SPCA shelter any time until the end of May. “The entry fee is the same,” he noted, “but some animals may be a bit shy or may be a little too big to come to the library, so their owners can u…

Authorities say they've made "significant progress" investigating dozens of bomb threats at the University of Pittsburgh.

The US Attorney’s Office says in a statement released today that information from students and community members has helped them focus on potential suspects.

US Attorney David Hickton encourages people who think they have pertinent information to continuing reporting it, and adds that the tipsters may remain anonymous.

Pitt has been plagued by dozens of bomb threats since mid-February and is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. Tuesday night a threat was received for university Chancellor Mark Nordenberg’s home.

HARRISBURG - Pennsylvania today joined Attorneys General from 14 states and Puerto Rico in a lawsuit charging three of the nation's largest book publishers and Apple Inc. with colluding to fix the sales prices of electronic books.

Attorney General Linda Kelly said that the antitrust action is the result of a two-year investigation into allegations that publishers Penguin, Simon & Schuster and Macmillan conspired with other publishers and Apple to artificially raise e-book prices.

Kelly said that for years, retailers sold e-books through a traditional wholesale distribution model, under which retailers ?-not publishers - set e-books' sales prices. The states allege that the defendants colluded to use a different distribution model to eliminate free market competition and allow publishers, not the marketplace set the price of e-books.

According to the lawsuit, the cost of New York Times Bestselling e-books rose from $9.99 to as much as $14.99 per book once Apple and the publish…

For Brigadier Gen. (Pa.) Michael Gould that notion has extended far beyond his tenure in the U.S. Army and has inspired him to create a new Pennsylvania Veterans Foundation, a private, non-profit charitable organization that specifically supports veterans and their families in Pennsylvania.

Gould, who serves as deputy adjutant general for the Pennsylvania Office of Veterans’ Affairs, came up with the idea when he looked beyond the borders of Pennsylvania to see what other states are doing.

“You just can’t get there on government dollars alone, especially in these fiscal times,” he said. “The private sector needs to be a part of the solution. Pennsylvania is way behind in this regard. Several states use public-private coalitions to pool the necessary resources to attack these types of social issues.”

Veterans Affairs receives about $3 million to take care of close to 1 million veterans in Pennsylvania.

Lt. Governor Jim Cawley has a secret he wants everyone to start spreading: There's a primary election coming up in two weeks.

Obviously, this is not a real secret but Cawley says too many people are focused on issues other than the election and -- speaking at the McKean County Republican Party annual spring dinner Tuesday -- he urged people to help turn the focus of others back to the election. President, senator, congressman, attorney general, and auditor general are among the offices being contested in the April 24 primary.

Also speaking Tuesday were state Senator Joe Scarnati and Representatives Marty Causer, Kathy Rapp and Matt Gabler. Causer and Rapp noted that the new updated legislsative maps are expected to be released Wednesday. In the last maps, which were rejected by the state Supreme Court, Rapp's 65th District would no longer include McKean County. That part of the county would have gone to Causer's 67th District. Neither of them knew as of early Tuesday night w…

Seneca Casinos will deliver an unprecedented level of excitement this summer to the Western New York, Southern Ontario, and Northern Pennsylvania and Ohio regions with “Summer Rush” – a package of world-class entertainment, promotions and special events during June through early September.

Summer Rush takes place at Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel in Niagara Falls, Seneca Allegany Casino & Hotel in Salamanca, Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino in Buffalo and Seneca Hickory Stick Golf Course in Lewiston. Just some of the many offerings include blockbuster entertainment performances by Stevie Nicks, Larry the Cable Guy, Joe Walsh and more; the return of ESPN’s “Friday Night Fights” to Niagara Falls, and; hundreds of thousands of dollars in prizes with the most exciting casino promotions in the Northeast.

“Two words – ‘Summer Rush’ – really say it best for the experience at Seneca Casinos during the warm months,” said Jim Wise, senior vice president of marketing, Seneca Gaming Corporat…

Kimberly Marcott WeinbergAssistant Director of Communications and MarketingUniversity of Pittsburgh at Bradford

When Shane Close of Bradford decided to leave home for the first time, he really went for it, spending 16 weeks in Russia, Europe and the United Arab Emirates.

Close, 21, a junior history/political science major at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, traveled to St. Petersburg and Veliky Novgorod, Russia; London; Moscow; Helsinki, Finland; Tallinn, Republic of Estonia; and Dubai, United Arab Emirates; bringing back worldly experiences from each courtesy of the Pitt-approved study-abroad program and the American Institute for Foreign Study.

While studying at the St. Petersburg State Polytechnical University along with nearly 21,000 other students from all over the world, he attended a rock concert at the Lensovieta Palace of Culture and a ballet performance at the Mariinsky Theatre.